The World Fell
by willowbabe
Summary: Originally part of AI's songless songfic challenge. Ginny confronts Harry the night before the final battle, and confesses something he's not quite ready to hear. Pre-HBP and DH


A/N: Not mine, don't sue. The fic was originally written to be part of the songless songfic challenge on AI, but it's taken me since January to finish it, so I think it might be a bit late.

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The World Fell

The silence in the room was deafening. Never had the roar of the fire, and the rain falling against the windows been so loud. All because of the power of that one sentence. She half regretted saying those words, but she knew she couldn't take them back. To be honest, she didn't want to. They needed to be said.

"I know this isn't the ideal time for it Harry, but when is it going to be? We could be dead tomorrow." Her words echoed around the empty room, breaking the silence and moving him to reply.

"It's just a crush." He said dismissively, shaking his head. She could tell that he was trying to convince himself of that.

"It's not a crush and you know it." Her cinnamon eyes flashed angrily. "If it was a crush, I'd be sitting here with my elbow in the butter, or blushing like a tomato. Not bearing my soul to you like I am now."

Harry just stared at her, his mind rushing in thousands of directions at once. She decided to continue, before his thoughts gathered well enough to collect a reply.

"I'm not asking you to return the feelings, and I'm not expecting anything from it. I just wanted you to know. My conscience will be clear tomorrow. When I go out there I'll know that if I die, I'll be dying without regrets. And you? You can go out there with the knowledge that Love does exist in this world. That someone does care about you, and wants you to return."

"I have nothing to offer you, Ginny." He replied in a feeble, helpless voice. He sank down onto the sofa and stared into the hot flames of the fire. Never had she seen him look so defeated as he did at that moment. She moved towards him and rested her pale hands on his cheeks, lifting his head to meet her gaze.

"I'm not asking for anything. After all this is over, and you've come back alive, nothing will have to change. Things will just go back to the way they were. I'll just be your best friend's little sister, who accompanied you on a few adventures and you once rescued from a basilisk, and you'll just be Ron's dorky best mate. That's it. You can forget about all that's happened tonight.

"But just remember it tomorrow, when you're standing outside facing Voldemort, that I love you, I'm in love with you, and always will love you."

With a rush of courage she didn't know she had, she pressed her lips against his, pouring out all her emotions in a last ditch attempt to connect to him. It was a kiss filled, not with passion as some might expect, but with love and understanding. It asked for nothing more, and nothing less than just one moment. One more for just her, and the boy she loved.

Her courage was rewarded as he slowly started to respond, his cold lips drawing in her warmth. His hands started to make their way round her back, but Ginny pulled away gently, knowing that if she stayed any longer they would be choosing a path neither were ready for.

Shaking her head softly, she placed her finger on his lips and willed him to remain silent. Tears threatened to fall over the lids of her eyes as she gently kissed her love on his scar, before turning and fleeing the room. Only when safely in her dormitory, lying in her bed, the hangings closed and privacy charm cast, did she allow them to fall.

Down in the common room, the boy she had fled from pressed his fingers against his lips disbelievingly, and solemnly walked up to his own dormitory.

The next morning the world fell.

"Ginny! There's more tequila in the kitchen, be a doll and get it for us!" The tall blonde called to her friend. Laughing, Ginny acquiesced and made her way through the party-goers to the kitchen. Searching through the cupboards, she quickly found the desired ingredient and turned round to return to her friend. Unfortunately she bumped into someone and dropped it.

"Oh sorry, didn't see you there!" she giggled, picking up the bottle and thanking the gods above it hadn't broken. She looked up to see who had got in her way, and gasped.

"Hi Ginny," he gave a small grin and pushed his glasses up his nose in a nervous movement.

"Harry!" Ginny squealed and threw her arms around him in a brief hug. "Oh I haven't seen you in ages, you must come to Sunday lunch more often. How are you? How come you're here? I didn't know you knew Mel. Great news about the engagement, isn't it?"

"Oh, I'm fine, just been working a lot. Jeremy invited me; we work together, but I didn't realise his fiancée had such interesting friends." He replied. "And you?"

"Oh I'm fine, actually I think he might have mentioned knowing you somehow. I didn't really focus on it to be honest. But hey, congrats on winning that game last week. My friend Danny was watching it and said it was a superb catch."

"Thanks."

An uncomfortable silence descended upon them, and Ginny desperately looked for an opening to escape. Glancing across the room she found her target.

"Oh John! There you are! Excuse me a moment Harry, I must go greet John." And before Harry could give a response, Ginny had glided through the crowds towards a tall blond man with a large nose. A mask of indifference fell on Harry's face and remained there for the rest of the evening. Ginny carefully avoided him, letting her friend say good bye.

Later that night, when she entered the safety of her bedroom she opened the drawer of her bedside cabinet and carefully removed a silver frame. She delicately traced her finger over the figures in the picture. The smiling face and joyous waves of two friends, their clashing hair of ebony black and fiery red. The lingering looks of the female towards her companion going un-noticed. Taken at a time when both were more innocent, and no confessions had been made. When war had not intruded into their childhoods completely.

"I love you." She whispered simply. She blew a quick kiss at the photo Harry and then placed it on her bedside table as she had every night for years. She got into bed and fell asleep quickly, the last thing she saw was Harry's grinning face beaming down at her.

In his own apartment across town Harry was himself getting ready for bed, his eyes falling, as they so often did, on the many pictures of Ginny he had gathered over the years, all displayed on his bedroom wall... ... ...

Fin

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Have you guessed the song it's based on? White Flag by Dido and it heavily relies on the video for inspiration too. I'd appreciate feedback of all sorts so I can improve. I personally find the ending a bit rushed, but I felt the need to post something. Reviews can be left if you click on that little button down there… 


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